The 17th Edition and A Sea Of Yellow
Indian Premier League returned for its 17th edition, with defending champions Chennai Super Kings locking horns with rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the M A Chidambaram Stadium. Besieged by a sea of yellow, the CSK fortress, led by their new marshal Ruturaj Gaikwad, appeared intimidating to say the least. RCB on the other hand , boasting of a strong team and new clothing ( having dumped their black and gold for blue ), were prepared for an emphatic outing.
The Fizz puts CSK Ahead
RCB batted first, had a good start and then just fell apart. The Fizz (Mustafiz ur Rehman) scalped 4, Jadeja was miserly and RCB stretched to reach 173 at the back of some good rearguard action from Anuj Rawat and DK. CSK with massive depth in their batting and two brilliant Kiwis in the mix, got home on a canter. Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja sharing an unbroken 60+ partnership in the end.
RCB Travel to Chennai sans Energy
CSK were just too good for RCB and though the setting was great for the inaugural match, the contest did not live up to the hype. I was disappointed with RCB’s performance, both with the bat and ball. Barring Captain Faf, Anuj Rawat and DK, rest of the team looked out of sorts. They lacked energy as if subdued by the tremendous support for CSK. Virat scoring at run a ball and Patidar and Maxwell not troubling the scorers, it was all too easy for CSK. Siraj didn’t trouble anyone and went for plenty. Though Yash Dayal bowled well, he getting picked ahead of Akash Deep was surprising. The spinners bowled well for RCB, but then they did not have much to defend. Anything below 9 runs an over is an easy chase nowadays and CSK just showed that.
A Great Start for Ruturaj
Ruturaj’s first outing as the captain of CSK, turned out to be a successful one. This will only boost the young skipper’s confidence, who showed good composure and gave a good account of himself. Not to forget Ruturaj was filling some big shoes. Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell in their maiden outing for CSK, played well. CSK look strong and have the fire power in chasing down any total. In the bowling too, with Deepak Chahar back, they are formidable with the white ball.
RCB : Need More Work
RCB have a lot to think. They need to avoid losing too many games too early. With the strengths they have, they are more than capable to bounce back. However, their lack of intensity in the match has left me worried. Even the captaincy from FAF was sedate and not enterprising. Big improvement required for the Challengers from Bengaluru, before their second outing.
Rishab’s Wait Is Over
The Day 1 done, the focus shifts to Mullanpur, where a new stadium has come up. Punjab Kings would play host to the Delhi Capitals a few minutes from now. Rishabh Pant is making a comeback. The world is watching, with bated breath.
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Featured Image : The Fizz wins it for CSK